Reward offered for information on McDaniel College shooting

Blair Ames, Baltimore Sun Media Group

The Westminster Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for shooting at a McDaniel College dormitory and attempting to rob a student along Pennsylvania Avenue early Sunday morning.

Police released new details Monday of the suspects in the early-morning shooting that stemmed from an off-campus confrontation between several McDaniel students and a group of six or seven individuals in the area of Englar Road and Monroe Street.

Individuals sought by police are all believed to be in their late-teens to mid-20s. The group may be local to the Westminster area and was mixed, both in gender and race, police said.

The group attempted to provoke the students into a fight around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, with one man displaying a handgun. The students walked away from the confrontation and entered Whiteford Hall.

Moments later, "several shots" were fired through a second floor window, according to police.

McDaniel was placed on lockdown for more than three hours after the incident.

While investigating the shots fired incident, police learned that another student had been approached by three men while walking along Pennsylvania Avenue.

According to police, a grey mini-van pulled up next to the student and three men jumped out, demanding his property. One man said he was armed with a knife.

The student ran to a friend's apartment and was not injured. He didn't give anything to the suspects, police said.

Police are searching for a grey, older model mini-van in poor condition. The exact make and model of the vehicle is unknown, but the van has a sliding passenger door on the driver's side, police said.

Anyone with information relating to either of these cases is asked to contact Det. Stephen Blackwell by calling 410-857-9285. Callers may remain anonymous.

Callers may also text their tips anonymously by texting TIPWPD and the tip to 847411.